This invention relates to roll movers for moving large heavy rolls of materials and other heavy rollable loads, and more specifically to roll movers which are compact in size and powered by removable and rechargeable batteries.
Surface drive movers of the type wherein a driven roller engages a rolling surface of a vehicle wheel or a roll of material to be moved have long been known in the art. These movers typically receive their energy through an attached electrical cord or a hydraulic or air hose. In use, the movers require long lengths of hose or cord and consequentially the movers suffer from the problems and hazards associated with having long cords or hoses dragged over the surface of a work area.
Industry has long desired but heretofore not achieved a compact battery powered surface drive roll mover for moving heavy rolls of material such as paper, plastic and metal. There have been earlier attempts at providing battery powered roll movers for use in moving large heavy rolls of materials. Those attempts have not been completely successful due to problems related to the high energy requirements over short periods of time that are associated with moving large heavy rolls of material.
A second set of unmet conditions for a successful battery powered surface drive roll mover are related to size limitations imposed by the limited amount of space under two rolls that are in contact with each other. A successful battery powered surface drive roll mover must be able to be inserted underneath two rolls in contact with each other and turned to engage the roll to be moved.
A third unmet set of conditions for a successful battery powered surface drive roll mover are related to the range of weights found in rolls of the same size but of differing materials. A heavy roll of paper that is eight feet long and three feet in diameter will typically weigh approximately one ton. The same size very heavy roll of copper foil will weigh more than fifteen tons. A successful surface drive roll mover for moving very heavy rolls will have the same size restrictions as those for heavy rolls, but significantly different power and component requirements.
Early applications of such friction drive apparatus were to move wheeled vehicles such as airplanes, train cars, trailers and the like in difficult to maneuver locations such as parking, repair, and storage areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,432,156 to Hill (1947), discloses a friction drive for moving rollable loads which employs a mover configured to be positioned under large diameter wheels of heavy rollable loads (railroad car wheels). The mover of Hill utilizes an electrical cord as a power source.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,949,972 to Wirkkala (1960) discloses the earliest example of a battery powered friction drive mover of rollable loads known to the inventor. The mover was used for towing aircraft in hangers and repair facilities.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,582,154 to England discloses a friction drive for moving rollable loads (vehicles) that is powered by an electrical, pneumatic or hydraulic motor which receives its energy through a cable or hose in the handle.
As industry develops larger and heavier rolls, there is a tendency to require greater and greater performance capabilities of a roll mover unit. Heretofore, units that were challenged beyond their performance capabilities simply stalled out, heated up, or broke down.
Heretofore, the prior art has not provided a compact battery powered mover for moving heavy and very heavy rolls of materials such as paper, plastic and metal. More specifically, the prior art does not provide a friction-drive heavy roll mover of the type disclosed hereinafter powered by a small, light weight, air cooled, removable, rechargeable battery carried on the roll mover body that can deliver the power required to move a heavy roll of material.
Still more specifically, the prior art does not provide the compact battery powered roll mover as described above wherein the battery is a ventilated battery and the battery compartment is ventilated.
Still more specifically, the prior art does not provide the compact battery operated heavy roll mover as described above wherein the mover can be configured to have significantly different operating characteristics by modifying the critical components of the mover without significantly changing the compact size of the mover.